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Story So Far
See also: Page 2 Clasp Connections Our story began as two separate groups of adventurers relaxed at the Dancing Dryad Tavern in Kymal. Markas Ironbrooke received a letter from the Clasp as he ate his breakfast, expecting them to collect the favor they owed eventually. Frustrated he attempted to show this letter to a few shady figures also lounging in the bar, Unaware that they belonged to the Myriad, a rival gang. He received a gruff dismissal, and sent on his way, but not without being followed. Harvey Birdman taking notice of this informed his own companions and set out to tail the tail, forming a procession of three groups through the streets of Kymal. Though the suspicious figures quickly caught on, shook their tail, and began observing both groups. Arriving to the location he'd been directed, Markas found a ransacked shop, and a dead clerk. Moments later Serafina burst through the door, and up the stairs to the small apartment above the shop, just in time to see a hooded figure leap from the window into an alley. Ulfrik Shattenlied, and Harvey, Both of which were in the alley, elected not to follow the figure. By the time the sorceress made her way to the alley it was long since empty. She then returned to the shop, and accused Markas of being the culprit himself, igniting an argument. After investigating the shop further the party found a secret basement containing a large clockwork and stone construct of gnomish design, possibly a passion project of the deceased dwarf clerk. Attempting to repair or research the object in some way, the party was beaten within an inch of their life after Serafina launched a fireball and activated it's self-defense protocols. Over the next few days the group would complete a few odd jobs in and around Kymal, and have their first major encounter with Marvin Man-grass, as he told them of his history in the age of Arcanum and his inability to intervene directly with worldly matters, giving them a cryptic message that he needed their help with an issue in Kraghammer and a letter explaining as best he could. Kraghammer Chaos Quash Dentdruggle met the party, and they learned that the store clerk was building constructs, they would later come to know these constructs were meant to guard the trade caravans that are slowly building a relationship with the underdark. They then scoured the city for members of the clasp, finding a smuggling warehouse and confronting it's employees before realizing they weren't gaining the information they wanted. As the party left Serafina held back a moment and set the outside of the warehouse on fire, a decision the entire group would come to regret. As they slept that night they each were attacked, drugged, and smuggled out of the city on a wagon, Serafina managed to awaken during the journey only managing to start a small fire and kill a few other prisoners before being drugged a second time. By the time the party awoke, they were lying in the middle of the road just outside of Kraghammer with a letter from the clasp telling them to repay the debt. Making their way to the mountainous city, they encountered several undead creatures in the swamps along the road, and began to suspect more was happening than meets the eye. Kraghammer having recently become more open of a city was easy enough to enter, though they were restricted to the top slab, and the immediately found an inn to rest at. When they awoke the next morning hoping to learn what they could about the city they now found themselves in, they instead found Serafina gone, some money and a note all she left behind. They managed to contact Quash by forging a letter from Marvin, a fellow member of the Arcana Pansophical, hoping to get passage to the lower floors. While this did work in the long run, the ruse was known almost immediately thanks to the Sending spell. They received a plat from quash none the less that allowed them to move freely through the city, and he even introduced them to Kraghammer's other member of the Pansophical Drake Thunderbrand. Through their conversation with quash they learned of the urgent need for the constructs, the criminal desire to control an entire trade industry between two nations, and the dangers of the underdark. He explained that without the constructs to protect the merchants, several caravans had gone missing, and the guards they could spare were never returning. The party quickly agreed to search the underdark for the missing merchants, and clear out any potential dangers, after a sizeable reward had been offered. Traversing the cave they encountered scores of undead, a few native beasts, and discovered all the merchants to be dead and zombie-fied. During the crawl through this cave Yaromir Ambercrest wandered off alone and was ambushed, killed, then eaten by Gricks. The party was unable to recover what little remains were left. The group however did manage to find the source of the undeath in the underdark, a Beholder zombie acting as a Lieutenant for a powerful necromancer, and constructing golems under the city to fill his army. They slew the beast, destroyed his Golems, and retrieved the manual of Stone Golems he was using. In his treasure horde however they found far more. It appeared that this monster had been collecting lost treasures in the underdark to return to his master, and the party recovered a number of vestiges. Honor's Last Stand, and Kiss of the Changebringer, unaware of their immense power. Apon returning to the city, the learned the plate armor they retreived, and that Markas put on, was in fact cursed. The cleric nearly died attempting to remove it. They also explained the situation as best they could to Quash and Drake, who were waiting to inform them that Marvin had invited them to a meeting of the Pansophical, claiming he needed to see them urgently. Meeting Magicians Agreeing to meet with the members of the Pansophical, the party met with Drake and Quash and teleported to the small keep the wizards use as a meeting place. A few short introductions later, and they were asked to wait outside while the meeting proper was conducted. Afterword they spoke with several members of the Pansophical, learned of their vestiges (though the power was downplayed by Marvin), and purchased potions from Ozwyn Gruude the Alchemist. After conducting a brief talk with Marvin they learned the Necromancer was on the look hunt for not only more golem manuals, but vestiges to increase his power as well. Pointed in the direction of the manual of Iron golems and teleported to Westruun, the party began the hunt for a lost tomb on the outskirts of town. Sorcerer in the Shadebarrow Upon finding the ancient burial ground, the party was met with a disappointing external image, stone ruins and dusty stairs leading downwards. Entering the tomb, descending ever downward, the party was surprised to find that the entire structure was an elaborate trap. Their discovery, however, came a little late as the stairs behind them disappeared trapping them in a square stone room with an unfamiliar figure lurking in the shadows. Their fellow prisoner turned out to be opportunist and gambling addict, Oz Miller, who'd been trapped in the tomb for several days at that point, making no progress toward escape. Several hours passed before the party managed to beat the trap in the tomb and return the stairs, though this time leading much, much further downward. Arriving to a small chamber containing nothing but a plinth and the golem manual they'd come searching for the party began climbing the stairs again to leave, this time in the company of Oz. Shortly after they arrived on the surface, without returning to the main chamber, and unable to reach it again. They began to head back to the city with new knowledge, new friends, and new treasures. Treasures they would later come to realize as a vestige. The Armor of the Valiant Soul lost long ago, now theirs to use. Sailor in the City After returning to the city of Westruun, the party learned of the attack on whitestone and subsequent devastation. In the process meeting Oz's fellow traveling companion Crixus and forging a new friendship with the Half-Orc before setting off into the mountains on a search for missing Explorers, hoping to claim the reward for their safe return. Half-Dungeons and Half-Dragons The party as a group then set off for the mountains, finding themselves in the tunnels dug by the Crawling King and began navigating the maze-like overlap and sheer cliffs the tunnels formed. After hours of wandering, they decided to make camp for the night in the "abandoned" tunnels hoping to find the explorers in the morning. When they awoke, however, they noticed Enders was gone, and tracks led off into the tunnels. Scouting ahead, Harvey managed to find a small enclave of Lizardfolk and their half-dragon leader Brimsson the Iron Cloud. Attempting to rescue their compatriot from ritual sacrifice, the party was noticed and eventually challenged to trial by combat. A fact enders had to convey to the party telepathically, as none of them spoke draconic. One by one the members of the party fell, their might no match for the massive figure, and their magic matched by his own. Eventually the Barbarian Crixus, displayed enough Valor and Honor in the ring, that the Half-Dragon let them leave, but not before breaking the half-orcs nose. They were bid never to return on pain of death, and they limped out of the caverns with no way to claim the reward for the missing explorers. It was after this fight, that Ulfrik now faced with his own mortality, chose to leave the party and study under Marvin as a wizard's apprentice. Hoping some way to avoid death alltogether, and never face the raven queen again. Fungal Fun Returning to Westruun the group stopped by Gilmore's Glorius Goods for the first time at an actual physical shop. At which point they were informed that shipments of manawart mushrooms had stopped and all health potion production was on hold until a supply line could be reestablished. Resolving to resolve this issue on their own for the good of man kind, and discounted goods, they set off. On their way to the rootgarden marsh, the only known place manawart grows, they stopped in the "quaint" town of Drynna to book passage across the mooren lake in order to avoid walking around it. Once in the swamp the party encountered Torden Firfriend, foraging for manawart mushrooms himself for a research project and suggested they work together. Doing their best to find the mushrooms they happened upon a well maintained mushroom garden, and were happened upon by the angry black dragon that kept it. A perilous fight ensued with the party just managing to survive, mushrooms in hand, to collect the dragons secret buried hoard, and the puzzle box it contained. Deck of many Deaths Finishing the puzzel box, Torden uncovered that it contained a powerful magical artifact. The deck of many things. Over the next few days the party would eventually draw all the cards, summoning death himself, granting vast wealth, new powers, but most importantly of all, consigning Oz to the shadowfell, and Crixus to the plane of fire. The newly summoned puppet Knight Wilkas, eager to retreave his new master Oz, as well as the rest of the group, desperately searched for a means to return their fellows to the proper plane of existence. Shadowfell Shenanigans In order to learn the locations of his comrades Enders had to use both wishes he earned from the deck of many things, though the wish could not return them. So after enlisting Marvin the wizard (whom torden new as Lucien from his time at the Alabaster Lyceum) for transport, the group set off for the shadowfell. Fighting their way through Shadar-kai and the incarnations of many negative emotions, the party found Oz's soul trapped in the crystal Enders had seen with his wish. The crystal only opened after each of them had bargained with one of the shadows trapped like enders, gaining twisted gifts that changed their bodies. Oz awoke with gills but couldn't swim, Enders was more persuasive but his voice was detached from his body, and Torden was immune to cold but terrified of fire. These curses would be removed over time, though some members of the party struggled with the decision more than others. After returning to Emon, Harvey began heaving, apparently ill from a curse he gained in the Shadowfell. Eventually with the aid of the party he removed a full sized longbow from his gullet, his self produced vestige Absoultion Fireplane Fiasco Returning to the city of Westruun with Oz in hand, the party took a moment to recuperate before enlisting the assistance of Craben, Headmaster at the College of the white duke, to journey to the fireplane. By paying their way through the blazing bureaucracy, the party bribed and cajoled their way into seeing the sultan, trading money and items along the way, before finally trading a vestige (Armor of the Valiant Soul) as well as Wilkas for Crixu's freedom. During this journey, Enders learned from Craben that his idol Scanlan shorthalt had been killed in a similar fashion to the attack on Whitestone. He took a moment to visit their graves before the party set out northward to investigate a vision crixus had in a dream months before. During their short stay in the city, Craben had given enders a clue that led him towards a vestige hidden in the college's library. Eventually allowing him to retrieve and attune to the Flute of the Golden Voice. Rumble in the Umbra Hills After a few days of rest, and with the party finally reunited, the group set off to investigate a dream that had been haunting Crixus, a dream of a sword lost deep in the Umbra hills. After a few days of wandering they eventually came upon a scene identical to his dream, an elegant and beautiful cruciform greatsword plunged into the ground. It's ghostly guardians demanded Crixus prove himself worthy, and while he managed, only barely so. The sword was revealed to be The Soul of Taldorei an ancient and powerful artifact, and a sentient one. Talking sword in hand, and on edge to it's apparent divinely radiant powers, the group set off further to retrieve a vestige for Oz rumored to be lost at sea. Shipwrecks in the Shearing Channel Booking passage out of stilben and investigating the wreckage of the grim jackdaw somewhere in the shearing channel, the party was met with a graveyard of numerous ships torn asunder, scarred by claws and teeth. When they discovered an undersea cave they also happened across the source of these scars. A hydra that swallowed the vestige Soul of the Sea and a tribe of Kuo-toa that worshiped it as a god. Fighting in this cave, at a significant disadvantage, the battle came to an end when the vestige was pried free from the hydra as it fled toward a small hoard. Retrieving the treasure the party discovered a number of things torn from ships including a helm of lesser teleportation, apparently an offering from the Kuo-toa to their god. Attuning to this item, Torden returned the party to Emon abandoning the ship they'd arrived on. Hoards, Hometowns, and Hazards Shortly there after returning to the city the party learned of an abandoned Dragon hoard and a blight affecting the land to the south, Both of which whispered to be remnants of the Dragon Raishan. Making detours to the Elf Cities of Lyrengorn and Syngorn, the party attempted to learn all they could. In the process meeting tordens parents in his home of Lyrengorn, and a blind old cleric who'd forgotten his name, and his young orphan apprentice the Paladin Solomon. Eventually learning of the origin of the blight Torden, with his helm of teleportation, landed the party directly into the abandoned lair as the Necromancer was gathering the bones of Raishan. Bargaining, Threatening, and Beating the party with in an Inch of their respective lives, they finally managed to escape when Crixus used the magic of the fates card to go back before they'd teleported in the first place. The party then made their way to the cave a second time, discovering the corpses of many lizardmen, and a blue dracolich left behind to guard the hoard. Narrowly defeating the creature, the party earned the hoard, rescued a prisoner by the name Tocrath, and returned to emon where he abruptly departed. Sewers and Scales Upon returning to Emon again, the party finally had some time to relax, with a few members studying to better themselves, and the group as a whole purchasing a Manor in the cloudtop district. Enders specifically met a young woman named Eliza during his time in the Lyceum library, who he seems to have taken rather a liking too. A wizards apprentice herself she took an interest into his research for the polymorph spell. A few days later after they began to investigate large russet leather shells being pulled from the sewer, the party discovered red dragon scales though much smaller than the one enders already had. Eventually finding the source, a red dragon's skeleton, and a half dead brood of wyrmlings. The man they met collecting them, along with his two bodyguards put the entire party on edge, though enders became farm more amiacable after he introduced himself to be Alistair, Eliza's older brother, though not enough as to refrain from stealing one of the dragons teeth to prevent it from being used as a Dracolich. Enders confirmed all he could with Eliza Eventually visiting her family estate in the Cloud top where he was subsequently charmed, put to sleep, tied up, and subjected to a modify memory spell. Having had the tooth stolen and Eliza's coniving nature revealed he returned home believing he had a lovely afternoon of drinks and chit chat, after which he willingly gave the woman the dragons tooth for part of a display on the wall. Trauma and Teleportation the party was summoned in it's entirety to the temple of the stormlord in emon. Eeach party member was mentioned by name, and upon arrival they found stormseer Brecrom (the leader of the temple) rushing back and forth tending to two injured figures on the table. These figures were revealed to be Marvin and Yurek. Marvins face was cut open and he was bleeding heavily, after Markas healed him, the scar left his eye milky and blind. Yureks body was covered in this spreading black disease pulsing through his veins and making him too weak to do much at all. Markas cast divination to Kord who instructed him to "put the pieces back together" and the party deliberated for a short period of time, while Marvin was still in shock as he watched his friend die. When they finally asked him about it he cut open his and Yureks clothes revealing they had matching scars from their left and right shoulder to the opposite hip, mirroring each other. When they party told him about putting the pieces back together, Marvin cut open his own chest and removed a bright, pulsating ball of light from where his heart should have been. Inserting it into Yureks chest, Marvin died as his friend came to consciousness, his last words as a singular entity "Welcome back" at which point Yurek began to weep in sorrow as he held the body of his dying friend, and as he locked hands with Marvin they both became enraptured in this blinding golden light, and as it dimmed their bodies had become one. Yurek now wore Marvin's scar across his face, and his hair much shorter to match his friend. They wore one of each elf's ear and it's eyes seemed to shift color. As this newly born figure screamed in Agony and Ecstacy simultaneously, the party found themselves teleported to a small stone room with a single exit, the elf nowhere to be found. Legends and Libraries the party makes their way through the new strange building, coming into contact very quickly with the Librarian Tik, who introduced himself as the head chronomancer. They learned of the nature of the building they found themselves in as the the Library of Lore on the plane of the concordant opposition. Doing what they could to learn of the immense library and the constructs and Elementals that staffed it they slowly gathered information regarding Marvin and Yurek. The newly fused elves giving them cryptic puzzles in various languages and vanishing from sight after each one. Blinking in and out of reality he eventually gains control of himself and enlightens the party on his nature as the Flame Keeper and Wind Keeper before he fused. Asking about the Crystal he spoke of the newly fused Elf granted the party the Sphere of time scrying. When pressed for further information he granted Crixus temporary true sight allowing him to perceive the true nature of his sword The Soul of Taldorei. Ships, Storms, and Swords Returning to emon after what appeared to be several months, the party collected some previously ordered items, hired new staff for the recently expanded manor, and set off with a recently purchased ship to investigate rumors of piracy outside emon. They were set upon after several hours by a ghostly ship and magical storm, the likes of which crixus had seen the last time his ship sank. The party was then rammed, and boarded the ghostly vessel to battle several storm wraiths. During this confrontation Crixus sword was refusing to cooperate, not speaking or granting powers to the half orc. Releasing the ship's victims from it's ghostly clutches they recovered a ledger of the long-dead pirates as well as what mail was not returned to the spirits before heading back to emon. Once inside the city Crixus got into an argument with the now talkative Soul of Taldorei during which it dominated his mind and began billowing green smoke as it walked him toward the cloud district. The barbarian was luckily confronted and stopped by Markas, and when he returned to his room in the Manor, continued to discuss the situation with the sword, resulting in it's smoke coellesing into two hezrou demons. Downtime and Demons The party panicking after hearing the rumble from crixus' room, rushed to his side to slay these massive semi-reptilian demons. After the enemies were vanquished, Crixus spoke with the sword for a moment, everyone in the room seeing it's true nature, and the Half-orc having a vision of the sword's creator Graz'zt the demon lord. Recovering from their fight and their visions, the party set out to get some down-time activities done. Enders spread information about his gang, and tried to learn of rumors in the city. Markas spoke with a priest. Crixus rested. Oz spent some time in the slums trying to gamble, learning of an issue where casino's and citizens were being cleaned out by a new face in town. Harvey wandered the town looking for shiny objects. Torden did some research on the nature of Graz'zt and vestiges they didn't have. Tower's and TPK's Chasing down a lead on a job, the party teleports to the city of westruun. Upon their arrival, torden casts sending to the job poster, his former teacher and ex-member of the Arcana Pansophical. Archmage Eskil Ryndarien. He informs them that when he returned from his sabbatical to his recently re-constructed Tower Greystone, he found some squatters had taken residence inside, and he found it difficult to deal with them as well as his own magical traps in addition to theirs. He then opened the tower "door" by shifting the stones of the wall, allowing the party to enter and closing it behind them. Inside the party contended with traps, animated armors, magical sigils, and eventually came face to face with a witch, who revealed to Enders that she'd been posing as his love interest Eliza, and the actual girl had been dead for more than 50 years. A fight breaks out between the party, the witch, and her flesh golems. Consistently counterspelling the witches attempts at magic, the party fought her flesh golems and managed to knock her unconscious, right as her companion arrives. The suddenly appeared monk tells the party that he and Euphenia, referring to the witch, are leaving and that he suggests they do the same. The party attempts to negotiate, and eventually kills the witch, seemingly to no bother to the monk. Torden then picks up her stolen vestige The Spire of Conflux. He informs the monk that "to the victor go the spoils", enraging the man. The monk makes a solemn vow that if torden doesn't drop the vestige and leave, he will kill them all. This act of agression fills the condition for torden's held dimension door, so he attempts to leave the tower, finding himself held within it's walls by wards, but far away from the monk, at the sealed entrance. This drives the monk over the edge and he begins to fight the party earnestly, claiming the lives of Oz, Crixus, and Markas, before Enders and Harvey manage to escape with their abilities in stealth, though still trapped in the tower. Enders attempts to contact the recently half formed diety, The Uncaring, only to learn that Torden is chosen by the god, and must be the one to ask for help. Praying to him for the first time, Torden is shielded from the monks perception, but denied further aid as he asks from a place of selfishness and passion, denying the librarians teachings of neutrality. The monk then piles the corpses of the fallen in a back room, heads to the main chamber of the tower, and declares the remaining party members cowards. He then sits on the floor and begins to meditate in waiting as he states they are all trapped within the tower. Visions, Vestiges, and Victory struggling to grasp for a plan of escape, the remaining three party members sneak back and forth through the tower trying to come up with anything that will help them get out. Eventually, Enders and Torden resolve to attempt to recover the bodies of their friends with the back of holding. Moving forward on the flying carpet, Enders concentrates on an invisibility spell and Torden hopes whatever magic shielded him earlier is still working. It is not. The flesh golem guarding the room notices the floating gnome immediately and roars out in rage. As this cry of anger echoes in the chamber, the golem freezes, Enders freezes, and Torden glancing around notices that time it'self has been stopped around him. He then hears the voice of The Uncaring echo in his mind and has a drawn out coversation with the god, learning that the necromancer Ballar is actually one of the four pieces of the broken god (specifically his body) and the piece assumed to be dead (the blood, or Zumdan) is required to be complete, even if it's only the remains. He then bargains with the god, Trading the stolen The Spire of Conflux, for a new vestige of his own The Dawning Tome. Attempting to maintain balance, The Uncaring returns the stolen Vestige to the witch, and in return for restoring Torden's friends to life, he restores the witch Euphenia as well. As time is unfrozen each member of the party has a vision granted to them from a different god, as it appears The Uncaring was incapable of restoring them himself instead asking the other gods for assistance. Limping away from the tower and booking a room at a nearby Inn, the group writes out a note in response to a mysterious letter they recied hoping it will be noticed by a scrying spell since they have no way to send a proper reply. This method works and the next morning a strange group of Magic casters visits them in their room, using a portal spell on the door to arrive from all over. This group included an interesting gentleman dressed in robes bearing the symbol of The Uncaring (a god believed not to have many worshippers left). He introduced himself as Maynard. Meetings and Mercenaries The party had a drawn-out discussion with this group (The Watchers) of new and familiar faces, hoping to gain as much information as they could about their potential next step. However, there was little they could offer outside of answering questions and making connections, as their relationship with the library meant they had to maintain a neutral stance as well. Once their meeting was over, Crixus shared a brief but cryptic word with the leader of the watchers, Maynard, before they left the party to their privacy. Shortly thereafter Eskill Ryndarian arrived having been notified of the completion of his job, to give the party the agreed upon reward. Agreeing to send them a ring of spell storing once he finished making it, he provided the gold and promptly left. Knowing it would be two weeks before the Watchers would contact them again about possible passage to the city of Syngorn, the party moved to Emon, and finally returned home. Taking the time to set about different tasks that they felt needed to be done. Crixus purchased a new set of armor, hoping to avoid a second death. Oz used the sphere of time scrying to check on his family. Torden made a trip to the Lyceum to attempt to learn new spells. Enders investigated the former mansion of "Eliza" now abandoned and decaying since the magic of the witch Euphenia was no longer maintained. As a group the party did some shopping for new items, ordering a broom of flying. Enders and Harvey investigated a shrine being built in the temple district to find their acquaintance Solomon to be building it by hand. His thoughts of negotiation with an un-dedicated shrine now foiled, Harvey bought a small plot of land and put in motion plans to build his own shrine to the raven queen there in Emon. Harvey also received a private letter from his former Squad Captain Mogosk informing him that the recent death of one of his squad mates was most likely a murder, and that the bird should keep an eye out. A few days later the Watchers arrived at the front door of the party's Manor with two guests in tow. A triton named Ripp, and an Aasimar named Virrin, both members of the Merry Whistle Mercs, and both arriving in disguise. Scrying in the Spire After a short conversation with the Mercenaries, the party went with them to Syngorn, arriving by chance to the target of their destination. The Spire of Yurek. Exploring the tower that lends it's name to the elven mage academy, they found little information of import, until eventually using their wand of secrets to discover a hidden room. This hidden chamber held a table, and four chairs, each engraved with a symbol of an element. Fire, water, earth, wind. Inside they had a brief but tense confrontation with The Necromancer Ballar, and received a strangely cryptic vision from the Sphere of Time Scrying that seemed to indicate the blood of The Uncaring, Zumdan, was aware of their efforts in the future. They also discovered a seemingly endless hall of portals and were able to find the last person to see Zumdan was in fact Solomon, their one-time acquaintance. Construction and Conjuration upon visiting Solomon at his newly constructed temple, the party was met by a disguised archdevil known at Titivilus, who faced them with a troop of conjured devils. He spoke of a bounty placed on Crixus' head by "The Lady of The First" and said the souls of the rest of the party were fair game. A fierce battle ensued in which the Archdevil managed to take control of Solomons mind and kill most of the party, with Enders and Solomon scraping out victory after the later managed to regain his senses. Beaten and battered, the party then headed back home with Solomon in tow after a round of revivify spells. Cults and Casinos The party investigates the source of the devil and the suspected gambling issue in the slums, finding a small restaurant that acted as a front for an underground casino. Discovering the secret password that granted them access to the underground Casino giving them a way to distract the guards and find the secret door to the underground cult chamber. Making their way down the stairs they find a cult of Dispater attempting to summon creatures from the far realms with a large block of frozen blood. Killing the cultists and what monsters they summoned, the party exits into the restaurant finding it still function. As they exit they find their friend Solomon, who they asked to meet them, enjoying a bowl of soup, apparently oblivious to the chaos downstairs. They drag him back to their manor and spend the next few days resting, shopping, and researching before they make their way to Vasselheim. Visions and Vasselheim. With their teleportation circle in hand (and illegal), the party makes their way to Vasselheim via a suspicious underground basement before setting out for the day as it seemed each of them had their own agenda in the city. Oz visited the temple of the wild mother, receiving a short vision of himself absorbing a pool of salt water, an affirmation of his actions until that point. Harvey made a trip to the temple of the raven queen, and while his trip was expected the answer was not. The priestesses left him alone in a small stone room and he was the very nature of fate itself laid out before him. He left with more questions that he arrived. Markas and Crixus visited the temple of the storm lord, hoping to dedicate the half-orc in his service, however their attempted ritual was struck short by necrotic black energy and the influence of another god. Enders and torden hoping to learn what they can made their way to the Cobal vault, asking about the attacks, what assistance the order would offer and so forth. Instead they both had secrets laid bare, Torden learned of the prophecy Enders heard, as well as his third eye. The two men together both learned that the Dawning Tome is not all that it seems. Deserts and Dogs Taking a moment to cast the sending spell to contact his family Enders learns that his sister Yesla has been missing for several days. Immediately worried he turns the parties attention to the continent of Marquet as they waste no time before starting to scour the city of Ank'Harel. Investigating what few leads he gathered using the sphere of time scrying Enders learns of a mysterious figure lurking in alleys lately. Setting an ambush for this figure the group was surprised when not one, but three identical forms started following enders through the streets. Jumping them when best they could they were met with yet another twist as the figures weren't even human, but rather shapeshifting jackalwere's that had been hired to kidnap "small people" from the city, children and halflings mostly, in exchange for food and clothing when they left them in the desert. A brief interrogation led the party to learn that these jackals had been hired by "lizards" only to later find out that it was a strange scaled entity with 6 snake heads that was known as The Scale King. Seemingly upset that the "warm bloods" were invading the lands he considered holy, the scale king refused to give information to the party for free, trading a secret for a secret in kind. Enders offered his full name, a fact he'd not shared with the party even, and recognizing the power in a name the scale king told enders what he wished to know. He'd already sold the others he'd taken. When pressed for more information he simply responded that it was a deal for another day as he sunk back beneath the sands. Tribes and Trials After finding their way to the oasis the scale king called home, they investigated the surrounding area to discover his entire tribe lived there. Enders and the king had a tense stand off, culminating in the death of one of the snake tribesmen, and the decision to decide their differences by "Ini ripiek" or trial by combat. Choosing champions to represent them, the snake kings son faced Crixus in single combat, though the prince wielded a fair bit of magic possibly due to the advancement of the curse he was born with. The party discovered when pressing this subject that the tribesmen were Yuan-ti, formerly humans that had been cursed by the Cloaked Serpent, for the actions of their ancestors during the calamity. Crixus triumphed in the battle, though the rest of the party had to intervene to counterspell a fireball that could have potentially gotten out of hand. His victory earned him the right to a single question answered by the scale king. Gaining what knowledge they could from this and other sources they learned that Enders' sister Yesla had been sold to the half dragon Brims-son, and where he was supposedly camped. Unable to gain the full support of the scale king he offered at least to escort them through the desert, and after a short rest, they set off. The party would walk for hours through the sands eventually spotting the camp in the distance shortly before sundown. Running from Rituals As the party spots the camp in the distance they decide to wait until the sun begins to set before they approach the camp. Sneaking ever so carefully the smallest two members of the party, Torden and Enders, get within range to dimension door onto the boat that was holding Yesla. The lizardman lieutenant of the necromancer, Thruzk, was standing guard, only managing to fire a single arrow before they teleport back out. However, as the party begins to pull back from the camp, a group of shamans working for Brims-son complete the ritual they’d been focused on. A ring drawn in the sand suddenly blazes with blue flames, and the ground rumbles and cracks as fissures open in the center of this ring. The completion of the ritual frightens most of the half dragon’s allies and they begin to flee while the party starts moving back towards the camp hoping to stop the ritual. Standing over the now widening portal Brims-son begins cutting his hands with a ritual knife, and where the wounds are opened thick tendrils of black shadow begin to pour out. Worried by this strange behavior the party rushes into combat range, beginning to fight whomever they can as soon as possible, making quick work of the majority of the camp. Frustrated by watching his allies fall, Brims-son uses the titanstone knuckles to enlarge himself, now standing easily 15 feet tall. Torden, casting fly on himself and Crixus, allows the barbarian to rush right into range and begin beating against the half dragon with pyremaul, the attacks more a distraction than any harm, they are returned in kind, as attack after attack from the now massive pike wielding half dragon begin to brutalize the barbarian. Exchanging blow after blow, the party manages to knock the half-dragon to his knees before he can do the same to crixus, though they are unsuccessful in halting his transformation as he shifts fully into a gargantuan shadow dragon, breathing a line of necrotic energy across the desert and knocking both Markas and Torden unconscious. Caught off guard the party closes ranks and begins to heal their wounds as the now full shadow dragon flies over to the portal and begins trying to pry it open, in doing so revealing that it is indeed a portal into the Library of Lore in the outlands, and probably the last place he should be. Thruzk, shaken by the transformation tells the party they are all doomed, and restrains the shadow dragon with an arrow of vines and brambles, shouting at him to leave. This gives the party just enough time to banish the dragon, and dispel the magic holding the portal open closing it for good. Harvey then takes a moment to ask Thruzk about his allegiances, and not receiving the answer he desired, fires an attack in parting, prompting a volley of arrows from the lizardfolk finding their mark on almost every member of the party. Teleporting back to their Manor, the party rests for the night after a long desert adventure, only to be awakened bright and early by their head servant Sebastian, rather panicked over their arrival. He informs them the city has been quarantined due to confirmed reports from the shalesteps of both Lycanthropy, and Vampirism Mysteries and May-hemm The next morning as they discuss the path forward in regards to the looming threat of curses spreading through the country, the party makes efficient use of their time. Torden, in an attempt to learn some of the time magic used by the library's resident chronomancer Tik, contacts him and learns that he will be in Emon in just under a week, stalling the party's departure from the city and giving them some much needed downtime to rest and recuperate. Over these six days each member of the party took some time to focus on their own priorities. Markas visits the temple district to see what countermeasures where put in place by the cities clerics, satisfied with their work he chooses not to intervene further, unable to find a member of the Claret Order who supposedly confirmed the reported curses. Instead, attempts to contact his sister Lilliana, and when that fails resorts to scrying, and then time scrying when that fails. He learns that the town of Alfield where she'd been hiding out and laying low as besieged by hoards of undead, being dragged off with several other hostages. In an attempt to learn where she'd been taken, he then attempted to scry on one of the undead that took her, getting little more than a glimpse of a pile of bones and flesh in a damp cave. Enders, unable to wake his sister Yesla, resolved to stay by her side and see that she was well taken care of. Crixus, Spent what time he had attempting to learn more about The Ruiner, and why Gruumsh would take an interest in him, despite his life long devotion to The Stormlord. Oz, in an attempt to replicate his previously experienced vision from the wild mother repeatedly found himself attempting to absorb water in his hands, to little success. Also concerned for his family he attempted to scry on his sisters, both of which failed, eventually finding success in his attempts to scry on his brother, seeing him beaten bloody and chained in some sort of stone dungeon. Harvey, made his way to the temple districts to check on the ongoing construction of both his temple and the temple being built by Solomon. Torden, disappointed that he had to wait for his new magic, contacted his parents and learned that they were hiding in the feywild with the majority of the population of Lyrengorn, after a massive flock of wyverns attacked the city, usually famous for it's ability to tame wyverns. He then spent the majority of the next few days, making progress on his book, attempting a technical explanation of his ability to shift types of magic from one to the other. With their week coming to a close, the party sans Enders, met with tik, who handed torden the weakest time spell possible, and seemed rather confused as to why they weren't investigating the spreading lycanthropy. Tik, knowing the issue would be resolved one way or another, seemed to encourage the party in that direction with as little help as possible due to his neutral stance as a member of the library, but seemed resolute that it was the kind of thing they do. Tik mentioned in passing that he was consulting on the situation for a friend, though the party failed to question him on this before he left, prompting them to gather what information they could and follow the trail north to The Shale Steps, the epicenter of the problem. Learning that this individual's name was Holden Hemm, they arrived in one of the shale step villages just a day behind him, pressing on immediately to close the gap. The next village they arrived at was surprisingly fortified for a fishing village, with a large gate and wooden palisades. Their observation however, would quickly be explained as a wolf creature leaps forth from the underbrush, and a voice orders them to get down. A man rushes forward from the gate, drawing a longsword and in the process dragging it along his flesh, the blood infusing it with crackling electric energy as he decapitates the werewolf before it has a chance to ambush the party. This individual the party learns is indeed Holden Hemm. Carnivorous Coinage Gathering what information they could from Holden, the party learns of the various forms of lycanthropes currently plaguing the shalesteps. The most recent report being of a young man drug out of town by a giant boar creature. Heading east from the village they set into the forests to search for tracks or other traces that can be followed to the beasts lair. Finding a surprising amount of traffic in the woods, they notice the tracks converge with others, the numerous footsteps leading to an abandoned structure near a river, at one point perhaps a fort, but now the lair of these beasts. Inside they encountered several werewolves, and wererats, a weretiger, and a wereboar. The lycanthropes quickly responding to the intruders had little opportunity to speak before being wiped out, leaving the party free reign of the building. Searching the rooms on the first floor they are able to recover a slight amount of wealth from the former inhabitants, as well as a chest of preservation, and a robe of serpents, and a pair of boots of striding and springing. Pressing forward they take one of the two staircases leading down, finding themselves in a dimly lit subterranean storage room, piled high with gold. Torden, having cast detect magic notices the entire hoard seems to be enchanted with transmutation magic, and prompts Enders to toss a silver piece in. As the party continues to investigate, the mound of treasure rises into a swirling whirlwind of coins, battering them and bludgeoning them before morphing into a single amorphous blob of currency. The hoard golem now having revealed itself sets upon the party, bashing into Crixus over and over as the half orc stands his ground, allowing his allies to launch their attacks. As blow after blow causes sprays of coins to be ejected from the creature, Crixus' rage builds until he releases a spray of flame from his pyremaul, to disappointing effect. Steeling his resolve, the Half-Orc leaps towards his enemy, diving inside the golem and bursting his way out, damaging enough of the magic in the process to cause the treasure to come clattering to the floor. Collecting their earnings, the party heads back up to the ground floor before descending into the remaining staircase, hearing gentle chanting from the darkness below as voices call out in the infernal tongue. Step by step they lower themselves into the darkness until their eyes adjust and they manage to make out several humanoid forms hunched in the darkness on a raised stone dais, apparently in some sort of ceremonial chamber. Hazardous Hags and Helpful Heads The figures, now aware of the parties presence turn to face them, revealing their true nature as Blood Hags. In the ensuing combat the group contented with the strange magic the crones put forth, and their uncanny ability to sense the location of others. Shortly before the end of the confrontation, as the poisonous gas of a cloudkill filled the room, one of the Hags used her hair to grapple Crixus, the unnatural strands grasping and biting as if attempting to draw his own blood out of him. Outnumbered 3 to 1 however, the hags quickly fell like their lycan servants before them. The party then found themselves alone in a strange subterranean room, noticeably of different construction to the building above. On the dais, sat a single tattered throne, and behind it a large stone statue, looming over the ornate chest at it's feet. As they investigate their surroundings, one after another the members of the party begin to hear a voice echo in their head shouting obscenities or telling them to leave. They eventually manage to trace this to the chest, which upon further investigation via a detect magic spell, is enchanted with abjuration magic. Carefully opening it they find it empty, though the chest's poorly constructed false bottom was quickly discovered. Inside the secret chamber sat a human skull, with two smooth glass orbs in either eye socket and a single platinum plated tooth. As attempt to gather more information it begins levitating, continuing it's telepathic communication at first before swapping to physically telling them to leave. A surprisingly pleasant conversation ensues after a few apologies, and the party learns that this chamber belongs to the entity, a Lich known as Lur. Having lost most of his body and a majority of his memories, Lur was the Hags true target as he explains they wanted him to join the forces of "The Master of The Mountain". An offer he promptly refused. Uneasy by the presence of such a powerful undead, Markas begins backing the party out of the building and back towards the Shalesteps. Leaving only after Enders makes sure he has a way to contact him in the future, seemingly fascinated by the lich. Upon their return to the village, they attempt to negotiate payment for the killing of the lycanthropes, something the villagers have no interest in paying for, nor the means to do so, as Holden Hemm explains. Dissapointed, but still at a net profit from the hoard golem (possibly belonging to the lich?) they then make their way back to the city of Emon, to rest in their own beds for the night. Pustules and Plague Zombies After a short recoup at their home, the party visits Emon's guard barracks, speaking with a rather cynical sergeant and asking him for information, and possible payment, in regards to the reported vampires outside the city. Ignoring them for nearly an hour as he snuck across the street for his lunch break, he eventually is convinced the pay the party, Agreeing on a begrudging 150 gold per vampire slain, though the party doesn't negotiate a difference between vampire spawns, their thralls, or true vampires. As they head east out of Emon, they gather as much information as they can about the farming village they've heard is the source of the recent outbreak. Learning of it's exact location, they make their way there, heading out and camping at night with the use of "Leomund's Tiny Hut". With the village just in the distance, and their camp the only source of noticeable light, while keeping watch they begin to notice a pack of eight dire wolves, circling just outside of their visible range. In the morning, as the sun rises, the wolves are gone, though the ruined husk of the village is now more visible. Approaching properly for the first time it appears as if the entire cluster of houses has been burned, most of the structures left half collapsed. As they explore further they eventually find a corpse lying in the wreckage, it's body twisted by some unknown plague, now an unrecognizable mass of boils. Moving in to investigate, Enders chucks a piece of rubble at it, awakening the Zombie and causing it to exhale a cloud of thick black vapor. Contending with the stench and the stinging pain, the group begins fighting off the creature, as one by one, more plague riddled corpses shamble out of the nearby building, until eventually a well dressed, seemingly intelligent Zombie arrives, attacked almost immediately by the party he gives no room for discussion as he returns the hostilities, sapping lifeforce from those he can manage to get his hands on, only building his strength until they finally manage to overcome him. The initial threat done with, they chase the last straggling zombie (which had been turned by a strategic use of Turn Undead) catching up with it at the central well of the city, as it attempted to dig and scramble it's way at the loose stones to one side. Dispatching it they find the well contains a secret stair case, spiraling down into an underground cave. As they descend into the darkness, they begin to hear two rather poised gentlemen's voices arguing dispassionately over the proper course of action, referring only to each other as Andras and Orias. Continued on Page 2